


This Is My Breath in Your Lungs

by Capriccio



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Canon Era, Kiss or Die, M/M, Transformation, Tree!Transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-07
Updated: 2014-07-07
Packaged: 2018-02-07 19:38:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1911261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Capriccio/pseuds/Capriccio
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There’s a movement, a fluttering of Merlin’s eyelashes. Arthur pulls away and breathes out a sigh of relief as Merlin’s eyes open slowly, but it’s all wrong: Merlin’s eyes are glowing gold. They blink at him, blind and unseeing, and slowly drift shut again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Is My Breath in Your Lungs

**Author's Note:**

> Written for summerpornathon 2013's 'Fuck or Die' challenge. Thank you so much to significantowl for betaing! Title taken from The Hush Sound's "Echo".
> 
> Also [available at livejournal](http://capricornucopia.livejournal.com/16221.html).

No one speaks to Arthur directly. The servants duck their heads and scurry away when they cross his path. Arthur quickens his stride to Gaius and Merlin’s quarters. A dozen guards and some of his knights are armed to the teeth and shaking like leaves when Arthur arrives. His knights―his _knights_ ―avoid his gaze and keep their eyes on the floor.

“Tell me,” Arthur snaps.

Someone finally speaks. “It’s Merlin, sire, he―”

Arthur doesn’t wait to hear more. He brushes his way past those guards who move aside for him, and knocks the heads together of those who don’t. There’s no room for anything else in his thoughts right now.

Even so, Arthur is not prepared for what he sees when he enters the room. A massive oak tree, its roots dug into the ground and branches spread out to the ceiling, is in the centre of the room, glowing greenish-gold. Arthur squints against the light and makes out a naked figure tied to the tree: Merlin.

Arthur is across the room in a flash. His sword is raised to cut Merlin free before he realises that Merlin isn’t tied to the tree―he’s _in_ the tree. Merlin’s wrists are melded to the tree’s branches, with the lower half of his body disappearing into the trunk. Only his head and torso are free, but his eyes are closed. He’s so still, Arthur isn’t sure he’s breathing.

“Merlin,” Arthur whispers. He lifts a hand toward the tree, then drops it.

“Sire,” comes Gaius’ voice from behind him.

Arthur snaps his head around. “What― _who_ did this?”

Gaius shakes his head. “Morgana. She’s tapped into the forbidden magics to trap him. This kind of human transformation magic isn’t written in any spellbook―I don’t know of any counter spell to help him.”

“Is he―?” Arthur asks numbly. He can’t bear to finish the thought.

Gaius looks at him soberly. “Merlin is alive, but barely. By dawn tomorrow, his transformation will be complete. He will remain a tree for eternity. I’m sorry, sire, you know I am, but I have tried every spell I know, and I have nothing to show for it. He is beyond my reach.”

Arthur only nods at Gaius’ admission of using magic. He would do the same in a heartbeat if he could. He looks at Merlin―he doesn’t know for how long―before turning back to Gaius. “Please. There must be something we can do.”

Gaius gives him a shrewd look. “There may not be anything I can do with magic, sire, but perhaps there is something you can do.”  

Arthur stares at him. “What? What can I do?”

“Reach him. Make him remember what it is to be human, what it is to be loved.”

Arthur turns to look at Merlin, pale and still. _If I could_ , Arthur thinks. He swallows hard. “Perhaps you’d better leave us,” he says. Gaius bows and takes his leave, bolting the door shut behind him.

Arthur steps to the tree and places his hands on Merlin’s shoulders so that they’re face to face. His heart is thumping wildly in his chest while Merlin’s is almost still, just barely rising and falling. Arthur decides that’s the place to start. Breath, life. Arthur presses his lips to Merlin’s, breathing into his mouth, tasting greenery and magic. “Please, Merlin,” he says.

There’s a movement, a fluttering of Merlin’s eyelashes. Arthur pulls away and breathes out a sigh of relief as Merlin’s eyes open slowly, but it’s all wrong: Merlin’s eyes are glowing gold. They blink at him, blind and unseeing, and slowly drift shut again.

“ _No_ ,” Arthur says. “Come back to me.” He kisses Merlin again with all his strength, willing it to all drain away from him and into Merlin if he would only open his eyes again. Arthur keeps his eyes closed this time, putting everything he’s ever felt for Merlin―anger, irritation, acceptance, fondness, desire, _love_ ―into his kiss, hoping that he will be enough and won’t be found wanting.

The sound of bark splitting and cracking isn’t enough to make Arthur open his eyes for fear of what he’ll see. It isn’t until strong, warm, familiar arms wrap around his shoulders that Arthur dares to open them. Merlin’s blue eyes stare back at him, open and startled.

“Arthur,” Merlin says, sounding dazed. He topples over onto Arthur, sending them crashing to the floor. The tree is shrinking behind them, its branches groaning as it disappears, and Merlin, all of him whole and perfect, is free.

Arthur laughs joyously, holding on tight. He rolls them over, pinning Merlin to the floor with his body, letting his weight sink into Merlin. “I’m not stupid enough to let you go this time,” Arthur says.

Merlin’s eyes widen, and he smiles. Arthur kisses him again and again, unable to stop. Merlin kisses back just as fiercely, pressing every inch of their bodies together. Arthur groans, his cock rising and tightening, and feels Merlin rutting against his thigh. It’s easy, so much easier than Arthur ever thought, to wrap his hand around Merlin’s cock, hard and hot and _alive_ , jumping eagerly in his hand. Arthur laughs at the heat and the thrill of it. Merlin’s hand finds Arthur’s, curling around them both, and they tangle their fingers together, stroking and stroking together until they come.

“Stay with me,” Arthur says afterward, breathless, and Merlin says, “Always.”


End file.
